PHYS 625, Spring 2015

Homework 4 – Solution
(Dated: March 9th, 2015)

PROBLEM 1

(a) Let us start with the definition of the susceptibility function

Dh iE
~χAB (t) = −iΘ(t) Â(t), B̂(0) (1)

Since  and B̂ are Hermitian operators, we can write

D E D E
~χAB (t) = −iΘ(t) Â(t)B̂(0) + iΘ(t) B̂(0)Â(t) (2)
D E∗ D E∗
=⇒ ~χ∗AB (t) = iΘ(t) Â(t)B̂(0) − iΘ(t) B̂(0)Â(t) (3)

Consider the average of any operator Ô

D E∗  h i∗ X h †i D E
∗
X
Ô = Tr ρÔ = hn| ρÔ |ni = ˆ
hn| Ô† ρ |ni = Tr ρO = Ô† (4)
n n

Using the above relation, we simplify (3) as

 †   †  D E D E
∗
~χAB (t) = iΘ(t) Â(t)B̂(0) − iΘ(t) B̂(0)Â(t) = iΘ(t) B̂(0)† Â(t)† − iΘ(t) Â(t)† B̂(0)† (5)
D E D E
= iΘ(t) B̂(0)Â(t) − iΘ(t) Â(t)B̂(0) = ~χAB (t) (6)

Hence proved.
(b) Consider the susceptibility function in frequency domain
Z ∞
χAB (ω) = dteiωt χAB (t) (7)
−∞
Z ∞ Z ∞
∗ −iωt ∗
=⇒ χAB (ω) = dte χAB (t) = dtei(−ω)t χAB (t) = χAB (−ω) (8)
−∞ −∞

PROBLEM 2

Since there are no poles of the integrand within the contour C, the integral I is simply equal to zero.

χ(ω 0 )
Z
I= dω 0 0 =0 (9)
C ω −ω

Now we can rewrite the integral I piecewise as shown in Fig.1

Z ω− 0 Z ∞ 0 0
χ(ω 0 )
Z Z
0 χ(ω ) 0 χ(ω ) 0 χ(ω )
I= dω 0 + dω 0 + dω 0 + dω 0 0 (10)
−∞ ω −ω ω+ ω −ω C ω −ω C ω −ω
| {z } | {z } | 2 {z } | 4 {z }
I1 I2 I3 I4

Consider the first two integrals over C1 and C3 along the real axis
Z ω− Z ∞
χ(ω 0 ) χ(ω 0 )
I1 + I2 = dω 0 0 + dω 0 0 (11)
−∞ ω −ω ω+ ω −ω
 2

Figure 1: A diagrammatic representation of the contour C as in the textbook, the bigger semicircle extends up to
infinity and the smaller semicircle around ω 0 = ω has an infinitesimally small radius 

From here we can see that in the limit  → 0,

∞
χ(ω 0 )
Z
I1 + I2 → P dω 0 (12)
−∞ ω0 − ω

where P denotes the principal value.

Now, we invoke the assumption (b) to say that the integral I4 over the contour C4 vanishes, hence I4 = 0. To
evaluate the integral I3 over the small semicircle around ω, let us express the integral in polar coordinates by writing
ω 0 − ω = eiθ , such that dω 0 = ieiθ dθ = i(ω 0 − ω)dθ
Z 0 Z 0
0 χ(ω )
I3 = dω 0 =i dθχ(ω + eiθ ) (13)
C2 ω −ω π

Now in the limit  → 0,

I3 = −iπχ(ω) (14)

Putting everything together into (10), we get

∞
χ(ω 0 )
Z
I=P dω 0 − iπχ(ω) + 0 = 0 (15)
−∞ ω0 − ω
Z ∞
1 χ(ω 0 )
=⇒ χ(ω) = P dω 0 0 (16)
iπ −∞ ω −ω

Now consider the real parts of both sides in the above expression
Z ∞ 0 Z ∞
1 0 Re[−iχ(ω )] 1 Im[χ(ω 0 )]
Re[χ(ω)] = P dω 0
= P dω 0 0 (17)
π −∞ ω −ω π −∞ ω −ω
Z 0 0 Z ∞ 0

1 0 Im[χ(ω )] 0 Im[χ(ω )]
= P dω + dω (18)
π −∞ ω0 − ω 0 ω0 − ω
(19)

Now in the integral from −∞ to 0, let ω 0 = −ω 00 , such that

Z ∞ Z ∞
Im[χ(−ω 00 )] 0

1 0 Im[χ(ω )]
Re[χ(ω)] = P dω 00 + dω (20)
π 0 −ω 00 − ω 0 ω0 − ω
(21)

Using Im[χ(ω)] = −Im[χ(−ω)] from the assumption (c) and adding up the integrands, we get
Z ∞ 00 Z ∞ 0
 Z ∞ 0
1 00 Im[χ(ω )] 0 Im[χ(ω )] 2 0 0 Im[χ(ω )]
Re[χ(ω)] = P dω + dω = P dω ω (22)
π 0 ω 00 + ω 0 ω0 − ω π 0 ω 02 − ω 2
 3

Similarly, consider the imaginary part of either sides in (16)

Z ∞ Z ∞
1 Im[−iχ(ω 0 )] 1 0 Re[χ(ω )]
0
Im[χ(ω)] = P dω 0 = − P dω (23)
π −∞ ω0 − ω π −∞ ω0 − ω
Z 0 Z ∞
Re[χ(ω 0 )] Re[χ(ω 0 )]

1
=− P dω 0 0 + dω 0 0 (24)
π −∞ ω −ω 0 ω −ω
Z ∞ 00 Z ∞ 0

1 Re[χ(−ω )] 0 Re[χ(ω )]
=− P dω 00 + dω (25)
π −ω 00 − ω ω0 − ω
 0Z ∞ 0
∞
Re[χ(ω 00 )] Re[χ(ω 0 )]
Z 
1
=− P − dω 00 00 + dω 0 0 (26)
π 0 ω +ω 0 ω −ω
Z ∞ 0
2ω Re[χ(ω )]
=− P dω 0 02 (27)
π 0 ω − ω2
Hence proved. Note that there is a typo in the book, there should be a minus sign out in the front.

PROBLEM 3

First, let us define the causal (time-ordered) Green’s function

D E
G(kσ, t) = −i T ckσ (t)c†kσ (0) (28)

where T is the time-ordering operator such that

D E D E
G(kσ, t) = −iΘ(t) ckσ (t)c†kσ (0) ∓ iΘ(−t) c†kσ (0)ckσ (t) (29)

where the lower (upper) sign in the second term refers to fermions (bosons) as in equation 6.28 in the textbook. Now,
using the equations 6.30 and 6.32 in the book, we have
Z ∞
D E d
ckσ (t)c†kσ (0) = − P (kσ, ) e−it ≡ I1 (t) (30)
−∞ 2π
Z ∞
D E d −~β
c†kσ (0)ckσ (t) = − e P (kσ, ) e−it ≡ I2 (t) (31)
−∞ 2π

where P (kσ, ) is the P-spectral function as defined in equation 6.31. Let us consider the Fourier transform of (29)
Z ∞ Z ∞ Z 0
iωt iωt
G̃(kσ, ω) = dte G(kσ, t) = −i dte I1 (t) ∓ i dteiωt I2 (t) (32)
−∞ 0 −∞
Z ∞ Z ∞ Z 0 Z ∞
d d −~β
=i dteiωt P (kσ, ) e−it ± i dteiωt e P (kσ, ) e−it (33)
0 −∞ 2π −∞ −∞ 2π
Z ∞ Z ∞ Z ∞ Z 0
d d −~β
=i P (kσ, ) dtei(ω−)t ± i e P (kσ, ) dtei(ω−)t (34)
−∞ 2π 0 −∞ 2π −∞
 Z ∞ Z ∞ 
d P (kσ, ) d −~β P (kσ, )
= lim+ − ± e (35)
η→0 −∞ 2π ω −  + iη −∞ 2π ω −  − iη
where η → 0. Now using the definition of the spectral function from 6.31
2π X −β Ēn  2
†


P (kσ, ) = − e hm| ckσ |ni δ  − Ēm − Ēn /~ (36)

ZG n,m

to integrate over , we can rewrite (35) as

 2  2
−β Ēn  † −β Ēm  †
e c |ni e c |ni
 
1 X hm| kσ  1 X hm| kσ 
G̃(kσ, ω) = lim+
∓ lim+
(37)
η→0 ZG
n,m
ω − Ēm − Ēn /~ + iη η→0 ZG n,m ω − Ēm − Ēn /~ − iη
" #
1 X  †
2 e−β Ēn e−β Ēm
= lim+ hm| ckσ |ni ∓ (38)



η→0 ZG
n,m
ω − Ēm − Ēn /~ + iη ω − Ēm − Ēn /~ − iη
 4

PROBLEM 4

(a) The spectral representations of the retarded and the advanced Green’s functions are given as (see equations
6.36 and 6.37 in the textbook)
 2  
†
X hm| ckσ |ni e−β Ēn ∓ e−β Ēm
 
1
G̃R (kσ, ω) = lim
(39)
η→0+ ZG n,m
ω − Ēm − Ēn /~ + iη
 2  
†
X hm| ckσ |ni e−β Ēn ∓ e−β Ēm
 
1
G̃A (kσ, ω) = lim
(40)
η→0+ ZG n,m
ω − Ēm − Ēn /~ − iη

As before the upper (lower) signs refer to bosons (fermions). Using the result from the previous problem for the causal
Green’s function and the relation
1
lim = P (1/κ) ∓ iδ(κ) (41)
η→0 κ ± iη

we get from (38), (39) and (40)

Re[G̃(kσ, ω)] = Re[G̃R (kσ, ω)] = Re[G̃A (kσ, ω)] (42)

and

Im[G̃R (kσ, ω)] = −Im[G̃A (kσ, ω)] (43)

(b) For fermions using the equations (39) and (41), we have

π X  2  
†
hm| ckσ |ni e−β Ēn + e−β Ēm δ ω − Ēm − Ēn /~



Im[G̃R (kσ, ω)] = − (44)

ZG n,m
π
X −β Ēn  2
†
1 + e−~βω



=− e hm| ckσ |ni δ ω − Ēm − Ēn /~ (45)

ZG n,m

Similarly, from (38) and (41)

π X  2  
†
hm| ckσ |ni e−β Ēn − e−β Ēm δ ω − Ēm − Ēn /~



Im[G̃(kσ, ω)] = − (46)

ZG n,m
π
X −β Ēn  2
†
1 − e−~βω



=− e hm| ckσ |ni δ ω − Ēm − Ēn /~ (47)

ZG n,m

Using (45) and (47), we get for fermions

Im[G̃R (kσ, ω)] 1 + e−~βω

= = coth (~βω/2) (48)
Im[G̃(kσ, ω)] 1 − e−~βω

Similarly, it can be shown for bosons

Im[G̃R (kσ, ω)] 1 − e−~βω

= = tanh (~βω/2) (49)
Im[G̃(kσ, ω)] 1 + e−~βω